Ruffling and stitching machine



March 25, 1941. F. M. CARD 2,236,308

RUFFLING AND STITCHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 50, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l fiederic M Card 'wwmr v v I March 25, 1941. CARD 2,236,308

RUFFLING AND STITCHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RUFFLIN G AND' STITCHING MACHINE Application January 30, 1940, Serial No. 316,301

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ruflling mechanisms for sewing machines and more particularly in that type of combined milling and stitching mechanism in which the ruflling mechanism may be at will thrown out of operation while continuing the sewing machine in operation, as for example in the machine of my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,169,579, Aug. 15, 1939.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means for sufficiently retracting the ruffler-blade from its advanced position, when thrown out of operation, to permit of convenient handling and proper feeding of the work when performing plain stitching operations thereupon.

The invention consists in the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the ruffler-blade actuating mechanism contained in a sewing machine bracket-arm head which is illustrated in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a top plan View, partly in horizontal section, of the rufller-blade actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the bracket-arm head of the machine, the section being taken transversely of the length of the bracket-arm and directly adjacent the millerblade actuating pitman. Fig. 4 illustrates the rufller-blade actuating connections in perspective and partly in section.

The sewing machine shown in the drawings has the usual hollow bracket-arm I, terminating at its free end in a head 2. Suitably journaled in the bracket-arm I is a horizontally disposed rotary actuating shaft 3, upon one end of which is secured a counter-balanced crank-disk 4 provided with a crank-pin 5. The crank-pin 5 is connected by a link 6 to a needle-bar I carrying at its lower end a needle 8, said needle-bar being journaled for vertical reciprocation in suitable bearings in the head 2.

Also journaled for endwise vertical movement in the head 2 is the usual spring-depressed presser-bar 9, to the lower end of which is secured the shank of a presser-foot I0. The presser-foot ID has a sole-plate II formed with an upturned toe I2 and provided with a needle-aperture I3.

' Carried by the actuating shaft 3 for rotation carries a slide-block I8. The slide-block I8 is slidingly disposed for reciprocation in a segmental groove or guideway I9 which determines the path of reciprocation of the slide-block I8, said guideway I9 being provided in an angularly shiftable segment-lever 20.

The segment-lever 20 is disposed below the bracket-arm I and adjacent the head 2, said segment-lever being carried by a horizontally disposed fulcrum-pin 2| which extends laterally from said lever and is journaled in a bushing 22 for rocking movements about an axis substantially parallel to the actuating shaft 3. The bushing 22 is secured by a screw 23 in an aperture in the bracket-arm head 2.

Extending rearwardly from the segment lever 20 is an arm 24 to which is connected the lower end of a coil-spring 25 anchored at its upper end to a pin 26 extending from the bracket-arm head 2. The spring 25 functions to bias the segment-lever 2U yieldingly forwardly into engagement with a stop-element 2! suitably secured to the bracket-arm head 2 and determining a neutral position of said segment-lever 20 in which the slide-block I8 is reciprocated idly in the guideway I9 by the eccentric I4.

In order to tilt the segment-lever 20 rearwardly into a position of the guideway I9 whereby operative movements are transmitted to the rufiling mechanism, the arm 24 of said segment-lever is connected by a link 28 to a crank-arm 29 of a horizontally disposed rock-shaft 30 journaled in suitable bearings at the rear side of the bracketarm I. The rock-shaft 30 has another crankarm 3'I suitably connected to a treadle or kneeshift device (not shown). Disposed below the segment-lever arm 24 in position to be engaged thereby is an adjustable stop-screw 32 suitably secured to the rear-side of the bracket-arm head 2, said stop-screw 32 limiting rearward movement of the segment-lever 20 and therefore also limiting the amplitude of movement imparted to the ruffler-blade by the eccentric I4.

The slide-block I8 is pivotally connected to the rearward end of a link 33, of which the forward end is likewise pivotally connected to a crankarm 34 clamped by a screw upon one end of a miller-blade actuating rock-shaft 36. The radius of curvature of the segmental guideway I9 corresponds to the length of the link 33, and the pivotal connection between the link 33 and crankarm 34 is the center of curvature of the guideway I9 inthe position of the latter in engagement with the stop-element 21. Obviously, endwise movements will be imparted to the link 33 by the reciprocating slide-block l 3 when the segment-lever 2c is swung rearwardly out of the neutral position thereof above described.

The ruffler-blade actuating rock-shaft 36 is disposed at the lower front side of the bracket-arm head 2 and substantially parallel to the needlereciprocating shaft 3, said rock-shaft 36 being journaled between its ends in an eccentric bearing-aperture 31 of a bushing 38. Secured upon the end of the rock-shaft 36 remote from the crank-arm 34 is a lateral boss 39 of a carrier-arm 44 depending from the rock-shaft 36. Pivotally attached to the lower end of the carrier-arm 40 is a carrier-foot M to which is secured a rufflerblade 42 having a serrated free end. A spring 43 secured to the carrier-arm 4B bears upon the carrier-foot 4! to yieldingly depress the serrated end of the rufller-blade 42.

The machine is preferably also provided with the usual separator-blade 44 disposed below the ruiiler-blade 42, the free end of the separatorblade 44 extending under the presser-foot II and cooperating therewith to hold formed rufiles during the retracting movements of the rufiier-blade. Suitable other attachments, as for example the edge-folder 45, may also be employed, dependent upon the character of the work to be performed.

The rufiier-blade carrier-foot 4|, at the side of the pivotal-axis thereof opposite to the free end of the ruiiler-blade, is yieldingly engaged downwardly by the lower end of a carrier-foot tilting rod 48. The rod 46 is endwise slidably disposed in a bore provided in and extending lengthwise of the carrier-arm 49. The rod 46 is shouldered between its ends and the reduced lower portion of said rod is embraced by a spring 4! reacting against a shoulder of the carrier-arm to urge the rod 45 yieldingly upwardly, suitable means being provided to limit upward movement of the rod.

The upper end of the rod 46 protrudes from the upper end of the carrier-arm 40 for engagement by a laterally offset arm 48 carried by one end of a rufiier-blade tilting rock-shaft 49. The rock-shaft 49. is substantially parallel to the ruiiler-blade actuating rockshaft 36 and is journaled above the latter in a bracket 56 suitably attached to the bracket-arm head 2 of the machine, said bracket 56 being more fully described in my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,169,579, hereinbefore mentioned.

At its other end, the rock-shaft 49 carries a rearwardly extending crank-arm 5| provided at its free end with a lateral pin 52 embraced by a forked arm 53 of a short intermediate lever 53, 54 fulcrumed between its ends upon a pivot-screw 55 threaded into the bracket-arm head 2' to provide for rocking movements of the lever 53, 54 about an axis substantially parallel to the rockshaft 49. The other arm 54 of the intermediate lever underlies a forwardly extending arm 56 of the segment-lever 2B. When the segment-lever 20 is swung forwardly into the neutral position thereof determined by the stop-element 21, the arm 56 of said lever engages the intermediate lever 53, 54, thereby rocking the shaft 49 in a direction to swing the rock-shaft arm 48 downwardly to depress the rod 45 and to tilt the serrated end of the rufiier-blade 42 upwardly. Conversely, when the segment lever 20 is swung rearwardly, the spring 4'! acts to raise the rod 45, thereby permitting the spring 43 to depress the serrated end of the rufiler-blade 42 into yielding engagement with the work.

In accordance with the present. invention, the.

eccentrically apertured bushing 38, in which the rufller-blade actuating rock-shaft 36 is journaled, is disposed for angular adjustment about, its longitudinal axis in an aperture 57 provided therefor in the bracket 55. Suitably secured upon said bushing 38, adjacent to the crank-arm 34 of the ruffler-blade actuating rock-shaft 35, is the apertured end of a cam-arm 58 extending rearwardly from the bushing 38. The cam-arm 58 is provided with an irregular cam-slot 59 entered by a follower-pin 59 extending laterally from the downwardly bent, forward end portion of a finger 6i seated in a groove 62 provided in a side face of the segment-lever arm 55. The cam-slot 59 has a short, substantially straight active portion 59 adjacent to the bushing 38, and an arcuate inactive portion 553" connected with said active portion 59.

In the neutral position of the segment-lever 29, wherein said lever engages the stop-element 2'! as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the follower-pin 58 is disposed in the straight portion 59. of the cam-slot 59. When the segment-lever 20 is now swung rearwardly to bring the rufiierblade 42 into operation, the follower-pin Gil secured to said segment-lever immediately acts to swing the cam-arm 58 upwardly, thereby turning the bushing 38 about its longitudinal axis. In the continued movement of the follower-pin 60, it enters the cam-slot arcuate portion 59" which is now substantially concentric with the axis about which the segment-lever 20 is swung. There is thus provided a lost-motion connection insuring that the bushing 38 remains stationary during continued traverse of the follower-pin 60 in the cam-groove 59. Conversely, as soon as the follower-pin 66 again enters the straight portion 58 of the cam-groove in the movement of the segment-lever into neutral position, the camarm 58 will be swung downwardly to turn the bushing in the opposite direction.

When the bushing 38 is turned as above described, the rock-shaft 36 which is eccentrically journaled in said bushing is, of course, bodily shifted laterally in an are having the turning axis of the bushing 38 as its center of curvature. The eccentric-aperture 3'? is preferably so located with respect to the turning axis of the bushing that the cord of said are of lateral movement of the rock-shaft is substantially horizontal, whereby there is obtained a maximum of horizontal movement of the rock-shaft to retract the millerblade 42' from advanced position when the actuating mechanism for said ruliler-blade is rendered ineffective.

Furthermore, by reason of the fact that the crankearm 34 of the rock-shaft 36 is anchored by the link 33, said rock-shaft 35 is compelled to turn slightly about its longitudinal axis when the rock-shaft is shifted laterally, as will be selfevident. This turning movement of the rockshaft 36 is in a direction to amplify the extent of retraction of the rufiier-blade 42 in part effected by the described lateral movement of the rock-shaft. In this manner, the serrated end of the rufiler-blade 42 is retracted from the needle 8 into an idle position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and wherein. sufficient clearance is provided between the rufller-blade and the worksupport to permit of proper handling and feeding of the work.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the. segment-lever 2D and the treadle-connections therewith provide controlling means. 0 erable at will during the operation. of

the machine for rendering the rufller-blade actuating mechanism effective and ineifective, and for simultaneously therewith displacing the rufiier-blade with respect to the path of needlereciprocation.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is: v

1. In a rufiling and stitching machine, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a ruffler-blade carrier-arm having a pivotal axis of vibration, a lufiler-blade carried by said arm, means for vibrating said carrier-arm and thereby imparting operative movements to said rufiler-blade, and means for displacing the pivotal axis of said carrier-arm laterally in an arcuate path and thereby shifting said rufiler-blade with respect to the path of reciprocation of said needle.

2. In a rufiling and stitching machine, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a rock-shaft, a rufiler-blade carrier-arm extending from said rock-shaft, a ruffler-blade carried by said arm, means for actuating said rock-shaft and thereby imparting operative movements to said ruffler-blade, and means for displacing said rock-shaft bodily laterally in a direction to retract said rufflerblade from operative position thereof.

3. In a rufliing and stitching machine, in combination, a rufller-blade carrier-arm having a pivotal axis of vibration; a rufller-bladc carried by said arm, means for vibrating said carrierarm and thereby imparting operative movements to said ruiiler-blade, and means for displacing said pivotal axis laterally in an arcuate path and simultaneously therewith swinging said carrier-arm about said pivotal axis for retracting said ruiiler-blade from operative position thereof.

4. In a rufiling and stitching machine, in combination, a rufiier-blade actuating rock-shaft, a rufller-blade carrier-arm extending from said rock-shaft, a rufller-blade carried by said arm} mechanism operatively connected with rockshaft for actuating said rufller-blade, means controllable at will during the operation of the machine for rendering said actuating mechanism ineffective, and means for displacing said rockshaft bodily laterally in a direction to retract said rumor-blade from operative position thereof.

5. In a ruffiing and stitching machine, in combination, a horizontal-axis rock-shaft, a carrierarm depending from said rock-shaft, a ruffierblade carried by said arm, actuating mechanism connected to said rock-shaft for imparting operative movements to said ruliler-blade, controlling means operable at will during the operation of the machine for rendering said actuating mechanism effective and ineffective, and means brought into effective action by said controlling means for imparting to said rock-shaft combined bodily lateral and oscillatory movements for shifting said ruffier-blade into and out of operative positions thereof.

6. In a milling and stitching machine, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a rufiler-blade carrier-arm having a pivotal axis of vibration, a ruffler-blade carried by said arm, means for vibrating said carrier-arm and thereby imparting operative movements to said ruffler-blade, and means operable at will during the operation of the machine for displacing the pivotal axis of said carrier-arm laterally and thereby shifting said rufiier-blade with respect to the path of reciprocation of said needle.

7. In a ruffling and stitching machine, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a rock-shaft, a vibratory arm carried by said rockshaft, a ruffler-blade carried by said vibratory arm, means for actuating said rock-shaft and thereby imparting operative movements to said rufiier-blade, and means operable at will during the operation of the machine for displacing said rock-shaft bodily laterally in an arcuate path and thereby shifting the position of said rufiierblade with respect to the path of needle-reciprocation.

8. In a ruflling and stitching machine, in combination, a frame, a bushing journaled in said frame for angular adjustment about the longitudinal axis of the bushing, a rufiler-blade carrier-arm having its pivotal axis of vibration in and eccentrically of said longitudinal axis of the bushing, and means for vibrating said carrierarm, thereby imparting operative movements to said rufiler-blade.

9. In a rufliing and stitching machine, in combination, a frame, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a bushing journaled in said frame for angular adjustment about the longitudinal axis of the bushing, said bushing being provided with an eccentric bearing-aperture, a rock-shaft journaled in said bushing bearing-aperture, an arm carried by said rockshaft, a rufller-blade carried by said arm, actuating mechanism connected with said rock-shaft for vibrating said ruifler-blade carrying arm, and means for angularly adjusting said bushing, thereby displacing said rock-shaft laterally and shifting said ruffler-blade with respect to the path of needle-reciprocation.

10. In a ruffling and stitching machine, in combination, a frame, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a bushing journaled in said frame for angular adjustment about the longitudinal axis of the bushing, said bushing having an eccentric bearing-aperture, a rockshaft journaled in said bushing bearing-aperture, an arm carried by said rock-shaft, a ruiiler-blade carried by said arm, actuating mechanism connected to said rock-shaft for imparting operative movements to said rufiler-blade, controlling means operable at will during the operation of the machine for rendering said actuating mechanism effective and ineffective, and connections brought into effective action by said controlling means for angularly adjusting said bushing, thereby to shift said rufller-blade with respect to the path of needle-reciprocation.

11. In a ruffling and stitching machine, in combination, a frame, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a bushing journaled in said frame for angular adjustment and having an eccentric bearing-aperture, a rockshaft journaled in said bushing bearing-aperture, a carrier-arm extending from said rockshaft for vibration thereby, a rufiler-blade carried by said arm, actuating mechanismv connected to said rock-shaft for imparting operative movements to said rufiler-blade, controlling means for said actuating mechanism operable at will during the operation of the machine, and lost-motion connections with said bushing brought into effective action by said controlling means for angularly adjusting said bushing, thereby to displace said ruffier-blade with respect to the path of needle-reciprocation.

12. In a milling and stitching machine, in combination, a frame, stitch-forming mechanism ruiiler-blade actuating including a reciprecatory needle, a bushing journaIed in said frame for angular adjustment and having an eccentric bearing-aperture, a rockshaft journaled in said bearing-aperture, a carrier-arm extending from said rock-shaft for vibration thereby, a rufiier-biade carried by said arm, actuating mechanism connected to said rock-shaft for imparting operative movements to said ruifier-blade, said actuating mechanism including a controlling member shiftable into and out of effective and neutral positions thereof, and lost-motion cam connections with said bushing brought into action by said controlling member for displacing said ruffler-blade with respect to the path of needle-reciprocation.

FREDERIC M. CARD. 

